Collecting Workers’ Compensation If You’re Injured By A Patient

When you think of the most dangerous work industries, your mind probably jumps to areas like construction, manufacturing or forestry positions. However, one industry that oftentimes gets overlooked when it comes to injury and illness rate is the healthcare industry. Nurses, doctors, physical therapists and anyone who works with patients on a regular basis are at a heightened risk for work injuries. In fact, the injury rate for healthcare workers is roughly double that of other private sector employees.

If you are injured by a patient, either directly or indirectly, don’t just try to push on with your day because you’ve dedicated your life to helping others. Now is the time to get the compensation you deserve for a work injury. Below, we take a closer look at how healthcare workers can get compensation in the event they are injured by a patient.

Injured By A Patient – Steps To Take

Healthcare workers are injured by patients every single day in Minnesota. The majority of these cases are unintentional, but that doesn’t mean you have any less of a claim to seek compensation for your injuries. For example, some ways that healthcare workers can be injured while working with a patient include:

Injuries that occur when lifting, moving or transferring a patient
Illnesses contracted while working with patients
Accidental needle sticks when disposing of medical equipment
Injuries that occur when restraining an unruly or detoxing patient
Physical assaults

It’s imperative that if you suffer a new injury while working with a patient that you make a point to report that injury to human resources or a superior. Even if you’re not sure that the injury is serious, it needs to be documented in order to assist in the event that you do end up needing medical care or want to pursue an injury claim. If you wait weeks or even days, the insurance company may argue that the injury actually happened off the clock, and you may find it extremely difficult to get the compensation you deserve.

In our experience, we’ve found that healthcare workers are oftentimes the most likely group to sabotage their own claim, and that’s a shame. It likely stems from the fact that these individuals have dedicated their careers to helping others in their time of need, and they constantly find themselves trying to relieve the burden of others. Whether they view reporting an injury or filing a claim as selfish or something that would hinder their capacity to help others, far too often we hear tales of injured healthcare workers who either didn’t report their injuries or decided not to move forward with a valid claim.

The message we want to send to those individuals and any healthcare workers that may eventually find themselves in a similar position is that filing for workers’ compensation is not a selfish act. In fact, we think it’s selfish not to file. In order to provide the highest level of care to your patients, your physical and mental health needs must be met. If you’re constantly trying to hide your discomfort or you’re bearing an incredible mental burden because of your underlying health issue, you’re not going to be able to provide the best care to your patients. You owe it to your patients to take care of yourself so that you can take care of them, and oftentimes that comes in the form of a workers’ compensation claim if you are injured on the job.

We understand that you may not be very familiar with the injury claim system, but that’s what we’re here for. We want you to sit back and focus on your health and your family while we do everything we can to get you the compensation you deserve. We’ll review medical evaluations, reach out to witnesses and build a strong claim that we will file with your employer’s insurance company. In the event they deny your claim, which happens more than it should, we’ll gladly take your case before a judge to get you what you’re owed. You focus on your health, and we’ll put our professional experience to work to get you every penny you’re owed.

You’ve dedicated your life to helping others, but now it’s time to let us help you in your time of need. If you’re injured by a patient or in another manner while working in the healthcare industry, let Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm be your guide to compensation. For more information, or for answers to any claim questions you may have, reach out to our firm today at (952) 230-2700.